I have this plus-sized Yoga DVD that I bought a year or two ago that I used to do sporadically. I like it, but since it's not strenuous, you're not sweating and huffing and puffing through it, that makes me wonder if it can help in burning calories/losing weight. I've been doing the WATP 1 mile workout and I also have a Richard Simmons DVD but sometimes I want something at a slower and quieter pace. I'm just not sure if it will burn many calories? Some days I used to feel the muscles were a little sore the day after, which made me think it did something? I'm just not sure and wanted to get some opinions.
While yoga is NOT cardio, I do believe it has a place in a weight-loss exercise regimen. I try to use my yoga video a couple times a week. My rationale:
~ it helps with muscle tone
~ it helps with flexibility
~ it helps with balance
~ twisting postures aid digestion
~ it helps with stress management (which helps me stay on plan)
Have you ever done "cardio yoga"? Its suppose to get your heart rate up. I have been doing Tom Morley's cardio yoga on exercise t.v. on demand. I break a sweat because he moves quickly and some of the moves are challenging. He's very likeable too!
But I would include running or a more intense cardio workout for weight loss. And I have been doing some weight training. I just don't think yoga is anything that could match a real intense cardio workout, but its got its benefits.
Yoga and Pilates are very, very good for flexibility. Although a lot of emphasis is (correctly) put on cardio and weight training, flexibility training is also important.
I think there are lots of reasons to do yoga. It may not get your heart rate up, but I think it's great for your body. I try to get it in once a week, and then I lift a couple of times a week and do cardio several times a week. And it DOES burn some calories.
Think about your bodies' needs more globally. Cardio isn't the only kind of exercise it can benefit from.
I bought Yoga for Dummies recently and it’s a really good DVD, I have enjoyed it so far, the gym I just joined has beginnings Yoga classes and so I am hoping to attend a class there to see what’s it’s like.
Yoga can be cardio depending on how fast you move through your sun salutations! One class the teacher sped us up by about a factor of 3 and I was completely sweating and my heart rate was definitely up. However, that is the exception, not the norm.
I really enjoy yoga and I now take a class once I week. I started out with the Just My Size dvd, which is great. When I started it was somewhat challenging for me, but not really any more.
I have been REALLY sore after some of my yoga classes. You can end up using muscles you didn't even know you had. Especially for heavier people, body weight exercises can be pretty intense on the muscles. It is also great for balance and flexibility.
I also find yoga to be very healing in my relationship with my body. We haven't always had the best time together, and getting to a point of harmony is really important for the long run - both for my health and sanity. I have started to cry during parts of it, which thank goodness I had read about beforehand and knew that it was something that happens to people.
Nancy -- What a great way to say it. I'm having a similar sense of 'reconnecting' to my body, helped by yoga and weight training. I really do enjoy figuring out what my body CAN do. And that is improving over time!
For the past two years I have become a regular exerciser -- for the first time in my life. And this exercise has really changed my self-concept. I am starting to conceive of myself as a person who can't do anything physical to one who CAN!! That's so amazing to me!
I CAN"T physically do yoga....Lord knows I have tried. BUT if anything if you like it DO it!!!!! BTW...what video is it?? If it is for plus size I would Love to try it!!!!
Cyn: I do the Yoga for the Rest of Us videos by Peggy Cappy. The titles are so appropriate! She shows all kinds of adaptive movements on how to do things, and the people she has with her are a variety of ages and sizes. I would definitely recommend it.
She has an overview on her website, including snippets of the video. (I tried to post a link, but the forum won't let me. If you google her name, though, it will pop right up.)
I'm going to check out the Just My Size video, too. It turns out my library has it, so that makes things easier.
I started with the JMS Yoga - I always felt so good after it - it convinced me to take the 90 minute class I am now in. My body is learning - after the practice I feel so good - peaceful and energized at the same time.
It really has helped me to take a class although I like the breathing technique at the end of the JMS so much.
I love the Just My Size yoga video! It was a great beginners guide. Megan Garcia put out a book, too, and I'm just reading through it
There was nothing too strenuous about the video. Nice, fluid movements, at a fairly relaxed pace, but it's not too easy, either. There are poses where my arms get really tired I really do recommend it. I use it once or twice a week. (I'm actually now interested in finding a beginners yoga class in my area.)
I feel that while yoga may not be the best thing ever for weight loss (as mentioned above) that it's better to move around some than not at all. It does build a little bit of strength, and flexibility, but it really is making me feel better about my body & all that it can do.
Does Yoga Help in Weight Loss?
One class the teacher sped us up by about a factor of 3 and I was completely sweating and my heart rate was definitely up. However, that is the exception, not the norm.
